Cursed
by Miakaghost
Summary: The Sanzo ikkou meet a half-breed boy named Yahiko, but they'd better be wary around him, because he has a secret that could shake the Sanzou ikkou to its knees.
1. Prologue

Cursed

Prologue

_"It's tomorrow, Yahiko."_

_"I know." The boy responded, staring up at the sky. _

_"The night after is my turn." A third voice interrupted. _

_"I know that, too, Yotaru; I need no reminding."_

_"Yumiko, will you try not to do anything too evil? Such as murdering innocents?"_

_"Aw, you guys take all my fun away."_

_"Yotaru had a point, Yumiko. Will you?" _

_"…Fair enough, Yahiko. I won't kill anyone, or extensively damage anything." _

_"Don't damage anything, period, Yumiko."_

_"Human, you don't order me around!"_

_"Then why do you let a taboo such as Yahiko boss you around?"_

_"He is the bane for my existence, Yotaru! As he is for yours!"_

_"Quiet, you two. I'd rather enter a town without any further lip from you two for once." The boy stood, as came close to the town. _

_"Why?" The female's voice interrupted. _

_"I want to appear sane, for once."_

_And so the lone boy walked into town, but one body, and none accompaniment. _


	2. Yahiko

Cursed

Chap.1

It was a normal night at the bar for the Sanzo ikkou; that being a very loud night. And then, Sanzo felt a tap on his back. He turned to see a boy, perhaps a year or two younger than Goku. (A/N: That means he looks either 16 or 17, for those who don't know.)

He wore a red sleeveless Chinese shirt and a pair of denim jeans. But his clothes weren't what caught Sanzo's eye. It was the crimson hair that was braided down his back, and the crimson eyes that stared at him intently.

After a moment of gandering at the boy, Sanzo spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Um…I just came in, and since there aren't any tables open, the barkeep told me to sit with you guys. Is…that okay, Sanzo Houshi-sama?" He asked. Sanzo was a little startled at first at how polite the boy was. He nodded. The boy bowed. "Thank you." He sat down in an empty chair next to Gojyo.

"So, are we correct in saying that you're a half-breed?" Hakkai tried to ask as politely as he could.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. I'm Yahiko." The boy smiled and nodded.

"Yahiko, you're a bit too cheerful. Didn't people in your home town hear that half-breeds are supposed to cause bad luck, and…mistreat you?" Gojyo winced slightly as he asked.

"Hm? Oh, sure they heard those stories. But they don't care, and my parents are both very kind, loving…" For a moment, Gojyo heard a feminine voice mutter,

"Dead." Yahiko froze and slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Your parents are dead?"

"Huh? Oh…uh, I never said that."

"Yes, you did. I just heard you."

"You must be hearing things then." Yahiko laughed nervously. _'Not now, Yumiko! This is the worst possible time for you to come out!'_ Oddly enough, another voice in his head answered the thought.

_'Well, they **are** dead, aren't they?'_

_'That's not the point, Yumiko!'_

"Yahiko, you okay? You kinda zoned out for a minute there." Goku waved a hand in front of Yahiko's face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It must be something I ate." Yahiko laughed nervously.

"Yahiko, I hope you're aware that there aren't anymore rooms available at the inn."

"Hm? Oh…okay." Yahiko answered Hakkai's statement. Then, the half-breed boy muttered, "I hope Yumiko and Yotaru don't mind sleeping outside again."

"Hey, Yahiko, you can room with us!" Goku suggested.

"Uh…naw. 'Sides, I kinda…uh, talk to myself when I can't sleep. It's sort of irritating."

"I'm sure we'll all be asleep by that time, anyways!" Goku cheerfully replied.

"And…and, I mean….on nights of the full and new moon, I'm really, really not my normal kind self! I act like someone else entirely!"

"Maybe that someone else is less irritating."

"But…but…."

"Kid, we're offering." Gojyo patted Yahiko on the back. "It's not complimentary to turn down kindness like this."

"Oh….okay." Yahiko reluctantly agreed. _'But when Yumiko comes out tomorrow, they'll regret this.'_


	3. Eavesdropping

Cursed

Chap.2

It was late at night, and they'd all resigned to their beds, Yahiko sitting on the window seat that he'd claimed as his bed. They had all fallen asleep except Yahiko and Gojyo.

"I'm coming out in the morning, Yahiko, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Laughed a female's voice.

"I know, Yumiko." Yahiko's voice answered.

Gojyo listened intently; he considered sitting up, or rolling over to see who Yahiko was talking to, but that would let Yahiko know that he was awake. So instead, he remained lying on his back, eyes closed, just listening and feigning sleep.

"Yahiko, can't you stop her? I mean, really! If she does something terrible-" A boy's voice broke in.

"She won't." Yahiko interrupted. "Yumiko promised not to kill anyone, harm anyone, or cause any extensive damage."

"True! One might almost think you don't twust me, Yotawu!" The female voice cooed.

"I don't. You're a youkai, and have lied, or twisted the truth, on several occasions. I have no reason to trust you."

"Hah! But you and your petty human instincts…how can Yahiko trust **you**, Yotaru? Hm?"

"Please, both of you, just shut up!" Yahiko snapped at both voices. "Yumiko's going to come out tomorrow morning whether I let her or not; I don't really have a choice. I'd rather this be peaceable, when she comes out. And when Yumiko comes out, we're both going to shut up. When you come out, Yotaru, Yumiko and I will shut up until I can have my body back. Understand?"

"Oh, goodie! You're taking my side, for once, Yahiko! I think you're beginning to like me!"

"Don't get your hopes up, youkai wench. I'm just being the peacemaker between us three. I don't want arguing."

Gojyo was beginning to feel sleepy, but was also puzzled. _'He wasn't kidding about talking to himself. But what does he mean 'when she comes out'?'_ Gojyo thought, confused. And right before he drifted off to sleep, he heard the thing that confused him most.

"After all, it'd be wrong for us to argue when we all inhabit the same body, correct?"


	4. Yumiko

Cursed

Chap.3

It was early morning when Hakkai got up, and when he looked around, he saw no Yahiko. The boy had vanished, without a trace or a clue as to where he had gone. But there, in the window seat, sat a young girl, perhaps Yahiko's age.

She was a youkai, no doubt about that; her ears were pointed, and around her bellybutton was an intricate design, a youkai birthmark.

She wore a sleeveless red silk Chinese shirt that didn't cover her midriff, and pair of denim jeans. Her hair was a light pink color and braided down her back, while her golden eyes stared at Hakkai.

"Good morning." She bowed her head to Hakkai. The young man shook the others awake, and gestured to the girl who sat on the window seat where they knew Yahiko had gone to sleep. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Where's Yahiko?" Goku snapped. The girl shook her head, and muttered,

"He should have seen this coming." She raised her golden eyes to the boy, and stood up. "I'm Yumiko, and I'm of Yahiko's. He…left, early, far earlier than you awoke, Hakkai-san." Yumiko bowed to the men.

"But, Yumiko-san, that doesn't explain why he left. He could have told us he had to leave early."

"That boy is full of secrets; he himself is a secret almost." Yumiko's eyes thinned to a line, and she grinned. "I'm a bit of a secret myself."

"There are things he hasn't told us?" Goku wondered.

"There are things that everyone never tells. For instance….did anyone ever tell you what you were locked up for, Son Goku?"

"Now that's hitting below the belt." Goku growled. Yumiko put her hands spread out, and replied,

"Yes, but isn't that simply how life is? You can strive to know everything, yet still not have uncovered so many secrets by the time you die?"

"Yumiko…." Hakkai frowned.

"Alright, you cursed wench! Hand over the Bloodstone Heart and we'll let you live!" A gruff voice shouted up to the window. Yumiko flung open the window, and gasped; there were hundreds of youkai standing outside, and the one who had shouted carried a torch.

"They caught up a little faster than I expected." Yumiko muttered. She shouted out to the youkai, "Not a chance! The Bloodstone Heart is mine to use as I choose, and should I choose to use it for such, I will!"

"Wench, you understand not what you will be bringing upon the world by resurrecting that foul half-breed sorcerer!"

"I understand perfectly! And should he truly be a foul, witless half-breed, as you say, then so be it! Morticus is the only one who can help Yahiko at this point!" Yumiko snapped. "We're going to go to that godforsaken temple, and we're gonna resurrect that half-breed sorcerer, dammit!" Yumiko slammed the windows shut, then whirled around to the Sanzo ikkou and heaved a big breath. "Listen, you can't stay here too much longer. Can you all get out of here in time?"

"Sure we can." Sanzo replied. Yumiko nodded in relief.

"Good. Once we're out, you guys are going to follow me into the forest, and from that point on, trust me, dammit, or you'll end up as the Sanzo buffet, rather than the Sanzo ikkou." Yumiko warned. "Understand?"

"Got it." They replied, and dashed out the door. Yumiko stood there a moment, and muttered,

"I'm helping them; are you happy, Yahiko?" A second voice escaped her lips.

"Yes, Yumiko. I am."


	5. Over the river and through the woods

Cursed

Chap. 4

Every time that it seemed they'd almost reached Yumiko, she'd leap over a few trees, and so, would always be a few feet ahead of them. Finally, Yumiko stopped in a forest clearing, and gestured for them to stop.

"We've lost them." She said, without waiting for any questions.

"That was fun!" Goku panted. Yumiko sat down on a log, and stared up at Sanzo.

"Well? Don't you want to ask me some questions?"

"…Yes….first of all, who is Morticus?" Sanzo asked. Yumiko smiled, and closed her eyes.

"Yes, I thought that would be what you would ask about first." Yumiko opened her eyes, and took out a small gem on a string out from underneath her shirt.

It was blood red, and shaped like a real heart, not the ones that you would think about normally.

"This is the Bloodstone Heart."

"That's not we asked about, Yumiko." Gojyo shot back.

"Thousands of years ago, a sorcerer half-breed by the name of-"

"Let me guess…Morticus, right?" Goku asked. Yumiko smiled.

"Yes, Morticus. Morticus had become fed up with being foreseen as a luckless child, and mistreated. He didn't like how his kind was treated. So, the young man created a stone that would turn anyone into a half-breed, and disguised as a jewelry peddler, he'd hand out the stones for free." Yumiko frowned. "But the people grew angry at Morticus. They marched up to his atlier," she paused, seeing Goku's confused face. "a sorcerer's house, and they killed Morticus. The people made sure to cremate his body, and separate his ashes from his spell book, and his spell book separate from his heart." Yumiko held up the Bloodstone Heart. "They were afraid that he might come back to life, so they took out the heart, and laid it aside, but it possessed great magic, and the heart crystallized. Their fear heightened, and they hid the heart away, where no one would find it. But…it was found, by a boy of fourteen, no less, and a half-breed at that."

"Yahiko!" Goku gasped. Yumiko nodded.

"The Bloodstone Heart is Morticus's crystallized heart. Because it is…activated, he may contact us at any time he wishes." She held up the jewel. Goku gently took the jewel and stared at it.

"This is a dead guy's heart?"

"Indeed."

"Ew! I held a dead guy's heart!" Goku tossed it in the air. Yumiko caught it. She looked at the boy with reproach.

"Look, monkey, if Morticus is ever to be revived, then this stone must remain undamaged!"

"It's…beating." Indeed, the Bloodstone Heart had started beating; Goku scooted back as the stone lifted up into the air, glowing.

"Morticus is paying us a little visit!" Yumiko grinned.

And in a flash of red light, the shimmering image of a man stood there.

"Hello, Sanzo ikkou. I am Morticus."


	6. Morticus

Cursed

Chap.5

The young man that stood before them had crimson hair that hung down his back, two long braids hanging in front of his ears, down the sides of his face. His crimson eyes, kind and wise, seemed to twinkle as he stared at the group. He was clothed in rich looking ruby colored robes that looked much like a sorcerer's robes.

"Yumiko, have you brought these young men into it?"

"Yahiko was forced to sit with them one night….and they invited him."

"You could have stopped him." The man replied.

"Morticus, you don't understand a thing!" Yumiko slammed her fist against a tree. Morticus shook his head, disapproving of her horrible temper.

"Yumiko, perhaps….we should discuss the mission further, though." He suggested.

"Sure."

"She said that she was going to try to revive you, Morticus." Sanzo was the first to speak after seeing Morticus appear.

"Indeed. There is a curse that has been laid upon Yahiko. My stones were not meant to come into contact with a hanyou." Morticus let his eyes drop, one clawed hand pressed thoughtfully against his cheek. "Mm….friends, tell me. If you combine a half-youkai with another half-youkai, what do you get?"

"Um…one full youkai and one full human?" Goku guessed.

"That's right, young man. One full youkai, and one full human. My stones were meant to combine with wholes-that's a non-hanyou- and turn them into a hanyou. When my heart came into contact with Yahiko, then thus Yumiko and Yotaru were born as different personalities of his. Yumiko a full youkai, and Yotaru a full human."

"He must have been thought a freak." Hakkai noted.

"True, friend. You see, they speak to each other in thoughts or spoken words. But because the body only has one mouth, it's thought quite strange when a boy speaks with a woman's voice." Morticus admitted.

"So…what is this mission and why does Yahiko have to resurrect you?" Sanzo wanted to get the conversation with Morticus over with as soon as possible.

"You see, I can…give Yumiko and Yotaru their own bodies, and thus, separate them from Yahiko."

"Why not do it now?" Goku asked.

"Young man, I am a spirit, I am dead. I have little power in this form, and such a spell requires a great deal of magic." Morticus admitted.

"Yeah. But in order to bring him back to life, we need his spell book. In order to get the stupid spell book, we need to find it." Yumiko added.

"Why not simply ask him?" Gojyo pointed to Morticus.

"Brother, I'd like to answer that I know where it is, but alas, I would be lying. My ashes and my spell book were separated after death, and I only gained consciousness after the Bloodstone Heart was activated, and that was several thousand years after my burial."

"You don't know where your body is?" Goku shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not." Morticus answered ruefully.

"From what I've heard, all you know is that your ashes are being kept in some godforsaken temple that is most likely being guarded by golems, beings of stone that are nearly invincible, and feel no pain." Yumiko pouted.

"Throw in a few displacer beasts and a basilisk or two and you've got it."

"These people sure don't shirk their duties when it comes to guarding the ashes of an almighty sorcerer." Yumiko's comment made Morticus smile.

"I suppose…" He laughed. Yumiko turned to the spirit, an irritated look on her face.

"Okay, but look, if we get there, and you've told us the wrong info on how to resurrect you exactly, I'm going to take those ashes of yours and stuff them up your stupid little half-breed-"

"Farewell!" Morticus disappeared in a flash of red light, interrupting Yumiko. The Bloodstone Heart dropped to the forest floor, the glowing red light gone. Yumiko crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why's he always gotta be the person to get the last laugh?"


End file.
